January fun at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

January workshops, classes, and demonstrations:

Thursday, January 2

Mori Stories: How the Years Were Named

Time: 1pm

Cost: FREE with paid museum admission

Discover the tale of the twelve animals of the Japanese Zodiac.

Saturday, January 4

Family Fun: Daruma New Year Dolls

Time: 12pm

Cost: FREE with paid museum admission.

Have a New Year’s resolution? Make a daruma, a lucky Japanese doll, and make sure your goal comes true.

Saturday, January 4

Sado Tea Ceremony

Time: 1pm

Cost: $60

The workshop teaches the basics of sadō – The Way of Tea - necessary to understand the aesthetics of sadō and to fully enjoy the tea ceremony itself. Participants become familiar with how to be a guest, how to make a bowl of tea, and serve it.

Sunday, January 5

Koto New Year Concert

Time: 12pm and 2:30pm

Cost: $5 with paid museum admission

Koto is a traditional Japanese stringed instrument first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th-8th centuries. Celebrate the New Year with a delightful concert with this exquisite instrument performed by the intermediate koto students.

Sundays, January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2

The Art of Bonsai

Time: Beginners – 12:30pm

Intermediate - 9am

Cost: $100

Bonsai means "a tree in a tray." The art of bonsai creates the illusion of age and maturity of a tree which has developed and sustained the effects of nature for many years. Students of bonsai learn to artfully trim and train a tree in a container.

Wednesdays, January 8, 15, February 19, March 19 or Saturdays January 18, February 22, March 15

Stroll for Well-Being

Time: 11am – 12:30pm or 1:30–3pm

Cost: Free

Immerse oneself in Morikami’s natural beauty, peace, and serenity through therapeutic garden walking program.

During three sessions, a qualified facilitator will lead participants through themed walks and journal writing to encourage reflection, and ultimately, personal well-being.

Saturday, January 11

Guest Artist Workshop: Calligraphy & Sumi-e Workshop with Artist Masumi Sakagami

Time: 10am – 12pm or 1:30–3:30pm

Cost: $65

Advance registration required

Learn about the intricacies and beauty of Japanese calligraphy and sumi-ink painting techniques with master calligrapher and artist Masumi Sakagami. Students will learn the history of calligraphy, the basics of how to write a Japanese kanji character with the correct strokes, and to draw a bamboo with the brush and ink, two traditional writing tools. The workshop will culminate in a special gallery walk and talk with the artist at her exhibition featured in the Yamato-kan. Learn about the inspiration and creative process behind her work with this master artist.

Sundays, January 12 & 26

Sado: Tea Ceremony

Time: Beginners – 10:15am – 12:15pm*

Intermediate – 1–3pm

Cost: $60

Expand upon your knowledge of Japanese tea ceremony in this hands-on class. Perform traditional Japanese tea ceremony, with its ever-evolving seasonal subtleties, in the authentic Seishin-an Tea House under the guidance of instructor Yoshiko Hardick. The tea ceremony changes from month to month and from season to season. Intermediate course requires approval by the instructor before registering.

*Sunday Beginner’s II Class Prerequisite: You must have already taken a Thursday beginner’s I class session or a workshop to attend Sunday classes.

Thursdays, January 16, 30

Sado: Tea Ceremony

Time: Beginners – 10:15am – 12:15pm

Intermediate – 1–3pm

Cost: $60

Expand upon your knowledge of Japanese tea ceremony in this hands-on class. Perform traditional Japanese tea ceremony, with its ever-evolving seasonal subtleties, in the authentic Seishin-an Tea House under the guidance of instructor Yoshiko Hardick. The tea ceremony changes from month to month and from season to season. Intermediate course requires approval by the instructor before registering.

Thursday, January 16

Karesansui: Raking Demonstration

Time: 10:30am

Cost: FREE with paid museum admission. No Reservation Required

Karesansui or dry landscape garden, is founded on Zen ideology using carefully composed rock arrangements and gravel or sand. A karesansui is carefully raked to represent characteristics of water such as currents and waves while boulder arrangements may be interpreted as islands. Learn about our Late Rock Garden and observe how the raking can be a practice in mindfulness and meditation.

Saturday, January 18

Sado: The Way of Tea

Time: 12pm, 1:30pm or 3pm

Cost: $5 with paid museum admission.

Observe Japanese sadō, an ever-changing demonstration rich in seasonal subtleties. Your involvement in the true spirit of sadō — harmony (wa), reverence (kei), purity (sei), tranquility (jaku) — along with a sip of matcha green tea and a sweet will help you bring a calm perspective into your busy life.

Friday, January 24

Tango & Film Screening: Shall We Dance?

Underwritten by Linda and Michael Sonnenreich

Time: 7pm

(119 mins., 1996, Non Rated, Comedy, Romance) (In Japanese, subtitled in English)

Cost: $7

Enjoy an evening of the classic feel good comedy about a successful but unhappy Japanese accountant who finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons. Also, enjoy a performance by professional tango dancers and learn a few techniques and moves after the film.

Saturday, January 25

Introduction to the Art of Kintsugi

Time: 10am – 12:30pm

Cost: $70

Kintsugi an inspired version of the traditional Japanese art form of mending broken pottery with gold powder.

Sunday, January 26

The Way of Taiko - The Heartbeat of Japan

Time: 11am – 1pm or 2–4pm

Cost: $70

This workshop introduces participants to the history and practice of taiko drumming. Participants are taught how to understand sounds and movements, i.e., how to connect nature and the meaning of body movement. They will become familiar with the way of taiko and its drumming techniques. Top performers from South Florida's Fushu Daiko will conduct the workshop. The group is recognized by Seiichi Tanaka, the master of San Francisco Taiko Dojo, who brought taiko to the United States and who trained senior members of the Fushu Daiko group.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. For more information, call (561) 495-0233 or visit morikami.org.